Self-leveling supporting device



June 17, 1952 V 'N. s. RUTH 2,600,518

' SELF-LEVELING SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Norman 5 Rum INVENTOR.

June 17, 1952 s, RUTH 2,600,518

SELF-LEVELING SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1948 7 F/g.4. M 8 9 7/ 5* 3 I7 22 I25 I M I o) O /4 3o 'ly 29 27 33 32 2/ v,

6 20 I9 l5- I l 1 :1 l 214*. HI I I I8 Norman 8. Ruth INVENTOR.

Patented June 17, 1952 UNITED STATES iPATEiENT OF FJI CE 2,600,518 sit-transvestite SUPPORTING DEVICE Norman S.-Ruth,:Perkasie, Pa.

Application August 18, 1948;?Seria1 fN2oA-4Z95'z ficlaims. 1

This 1 invention relates to a self leveling device for supporting objects on structures which repeatedly tilt in differentdirections to various slanting *positions.

The present device is primarily designed for supporting a platform-scale on a truck or like vehicle, and for automatically maintaining the 'seale-in alevel or horizontal position so that said scale will properly function and maybe satin-- factorily used for weighing merchandise carried by and sold from the'vehicle.

The primary object of the present invention is 'to' provid'e a self leveling supporting device of T the abovekindwhich is comparatively simplein construction and highly efficient in operation.

Another object is to provide a supporting device of the above kind including a supporting frame, a, platform I arranged ab'ove and mounted I upon said framefor free-substantially-universal tilting movement relative to the latter -'-and adapted to have a the scaleor "other object placed "thereon, 'a pendulum 'fi'xed to and depending from said platform to 'automatically l maintain the latter levelregardless of various tilting move- *ments of thefr'ame, and novel means for "clamp ing I relative movements between the frame and the platform with its pendulum, .so as to prevent prolonged swinging movement of said platfo'rm-andits pendulum.

:Another 'object is t'o provide novel means for looking 1 the platform: and frame against relative tilting movement after the vehicle or like-structure has beenstopped or has come to rest and the platform has assumed a level position.

With the above'and other objects in view, the :present invention consists of .a novel form, combination and arrangement of ,;parts hereinafter more fully described, and shownin the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

'Figure -1 is'aside-elevationalview of a supporting device constructed in accordance with *the present invention and having a platform sca'le of the a computing type mounted upon the '-platform. thereof Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure l, partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view, partly broken away;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in plan partly in section, showing details of the means for locking the platform and frame against relative tilting movement;

39 end ofsaid stem [3.

'2 Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on line -6-'-Ei-of Figure 5.

-Referring in "detail to the: drawings, aindicates an elongated rectangular :frarne supponted i n an 5 elevated'positionbymeans ofbraced corner l'egs 6 adapted to be secured to the vehicle or other "structure on which the deviceis used. A platform l is disposed above the rear end of frame handle mounted upon the latter for substan tially universal tilting-'znovement relative there- 'to. Forthe latter purpose, opposed front and rear bea-ring brackets ii arefixed upon -tlie fr ame midway between the-sides thereofi' a pain of opposed bearing bracketed are rigid with and dependfrom the platform lmidwaybetwee'n the front and rear of the-latter, and a rectan'gular plate ii": 'has aligned forwardly and rearwardly projecting pintles H journalled inthebrackets :8 and aligned laterally prcjectingpintles '-l 2'-on which the brackets 9 areiournalled. Thusgthe platform "I and plate H} can tilt laterally -'-in either direction about theaxes of pin-tles ligand platform l and b'rackets 9 can-tilt forwardly or "rearwardly about the axes of pintlesi 2. Fixed to the center of and depending from theplatform 35"01 other platformscale l5 maybe' secure'donthe platform 7 so as to be automatioallymaintalned in a level position "with the platform 7. la ti ip member or plate H may be providedcnthe front portion of frame 5 so that such portion may 40 "be used as a table.

"Two dash pots 'l'8 are mounted beneath and at opposite sides of 1 the front endof fra'me S and "the upwardly projecting*piston rods' of-these dash pots are op'eratively connected 'to the '-"front --'of 5 1 platform" 1 at 'oppo iteisidesof *theaxes jdeilned by pintles l- I soas' todainp the tilting movements of said platform and the scale or other object l6 mounted thereon. Each operative connection consists of a lever l9 pivoted intermediate its ends 5 to and beneath the frame 5 at 20 and pivoted at its forward end at 2| to the piston rod of one of the dash pots, and a link 22 having its lower end connected by a universal joint 23 to the rear end of lever l9 and having its upper and con- 55 nected by a similar joint 24 to the platform I.

Thus, these connections do not interfere with the universal relative movement between the frame and the platform 1.

Means is provided to lock the platform 1 against movement relative to frame 5 and to thereby secure said platform in a level position when using the scale [6 or the like after the vehicle or other structure on which the device is used has been parked or has come to rest. For this purpose, depending bars are suspended by universal joints 26 from the front of platform 1 at opposite sides of the axes formed by pintles I l, and these bars extend freely through the lower ends of brackets 21 carried by frame 5, a manually operable device being provided to fix the rods against movement through or relative to the brackets 21 when desired. This manually operable device consists of a cross bar 28 pivoted intermediate its ends at 29 to a head 29a in which the rear end of a suitably guided adjusting rod 30 is swivelled at 30c, said rod 30 being disposed longitudinally of and beneath the frame 5 and having a screw threaded portion 3i which extends through and has threaded engagement in a nut 32 mounted on and beneath the front end of frame 5. The ends of cross bar 28 engage the bars 25 so that when the rod 38 is adjusted rearwardly, the bars 25 are clamped between said ends of bar 28 and the brackets 2'1. An operating handle 33 is secured on the front end of rod 30, and it will be apparent that bars 25 may be released by adjusting the rod 30 forwardly.

In use, the frame 5 will move with the vehicle or like structure on which the device is mounted, as said vehicle or like structure moves in different directions from the horizontal. However, the pendulum l3, '5 will tend to remain in an upright position so as to keep the platform I and object IE level. Any tendency of the platform 7, object 16 and pendulum l3, 15 to vibrate for a prolonged period, due to sudden changes in the direction or speed of movement of the vehicle or like structure, will be opposed by the dash pots [8. When movement of the vehicle or like structure has ceased, the platform 1 and object I6 may be secured in a level position by locking the bars 25 against movement relative to brackets 27, so that use of the scale or object 16 will not disturb its level position.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. It will be apparent that the invention is susceptible of modification and changes in details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a self leveling scale supporting device, a platform adapted to have a scale secured thereon, a frame, means mounting said platform on and above said frame for substantially universal movement including a rockable plate having a large central opening, a pendulum having a stem centrally passing through said opening and fixed to and depending from said platform, means for damping movement of said platform, and manually operable means for locking the platform against movement relative to the frame, said manually operable means including guide brackets fixed to the frame, horizontally spaced bars universally pivoted on the platform and depending therefrom at opposite sides of its lateral tilting axis and freely extending through the guide brackets, and a manually operable device carried by and disposed beneath the frame and having a cross bar engaging and clamping said bars against movement through said guide brackets when the rod is in one position.

2. In a self leveling supporting device, a platform, a frame, means mounting said platform on and abovesaid frame for substantially universal movement including a rockable plate having a large central opening, a pendulum having a stem centrally passing through said opening and fixed to and depending from said platform, means for damping movement of said platform including a pair of dash pots having cylinders rigidly mounted beneath said frame and pistons having rods operatively connected to the platform, the operative connection between the piston rod of each dash pot and the platform including a lever connected at one end to the piston rod, and a link having a universal connection at its lower end with the lever and a universal connection at its upper end with the platform.

3. In a self leveling supporting device, an elongated platform, a frame, means mounting said platform on and above the rear end portion of said frame for substantially universal movement including a rockable plate having a large central opening, a top member mounted on the forward end portion of said frame, a pendulum having a stem centrally passing through said opening and fixed to and depending from said platform, means for damping movement of said platform including a pair of dash pots having cylinders rigidly mounted beneath the forward portion of said frame and pistons having rods operatively connected to the platform, the operative connection between the piston rod of each dash pot and the platform including a lever connected at one end to the piston rod, and a vertical link having a universal connection at its lower end with the lever and a universal connection at its upper end with the platform.

NORMAN S. RUTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 622,045 Hein Mar. 28, 1899 705,731 Ach July 29, 1902 1,623,427 Manrock Apr. 5, 1927 1,689,624 Eskilson et a1 Oct. 30, 1928 2,439,067 Wood Apr. 6, 1948 

